triton

Tritons guard the ocean depths, building small settlements beside deep trenches, portals to the elemental plane of Thitune, and other dangerous spots far from the eyes of land-bound folk. Long-established guardians of the deep ocean floor, the noble tritons have gradually become increasingly active in the world above. They share their territory with the sea elves in the Central Sea and inhabit the secret islands in the Silent Sea.
Their skin was most commonly a deep-blue, but had also been known to appear as pearl, light green, or in rare cases, other mutant colors. Their hands and feet were webbed, and they had minor dorsal fins that run from their mid-calf and end at their ankles. They were notably shorter than humans, averaging around five feet tall. Triton hair tended to be dark blue or dark green, and were worn in the form of long, flowing ‘manes’. Triton men typically cut their hair around five inches past their shoulders, braiding it to keep it out of their eyes. While triton women occasionally followed this rule, they have also been known to let it flow free. Triton hair did not grow within two inches of the base of their pointed ears, giving the appearance that it had been shaved there. When heading into combat, they often bound their hair into styles such as tight ponytails, so as to maintain visibility. They were also known to weave pieces of coral or metal into their hair for emergency use as bludgeons. Triton eyes typically seemed to vary between brilliant shades of green or blue. If seen in standard lighting (typically within 200 feet of the surface of the sea or near a typical torch), their eyes appeared similar to a human’s. In dim lighting, their pupils expanded greatly to allow for better sight in the dark, sometimes turning the entire eye black. Their eyes also possessed a nictitating membrane, which protected them from sudden changes or flashes in light. All of this allowed for them to have normal vision even up to depths of 1,000 feet under the sea, though the triton were known to be able to safely swim down to 3,000 feet.

Proud Guardians

Tritons were a very proud people, with many biases and preconceptions as a result of their way of life. Having spent centuries protecting the world from supposed great evils under the sea, they believed they were entitled to a certain amount of fealty and respect from other races, something that was rarely acknowledged due to the lack of awareness many people held for the triton. Their isolation from the rest of the world also left them ignorant of the grand achievements of other civilizations or struggles the rest of the world has dealt with. When they were aware of such things, they considered them minor compared to the triton’s attempts to protect the world. Despite this, the triton were a noble and kind-hearted people who valued the world and other races. Their arrogance aside, they would readily sacrifice themselves to protect others, willing to fight and die for the other races of the world. They harbored a sense of guilt over allowing the evils of the Elemental Plane of Water threaten this world, and felt a need to make up for this crime. The fact that their name, ‘Triton’, translated to ‘guardian’ in their language is an example of their heroic nature.

Triton Features

Source: Volo's Guide to Monsters
Ability Score Increase: Your Strength, Constitution, and Charisma scores each increase by 1
Age: Tritons reach maturity around age 15 and can live up to 200 years
Size: Medium
Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a swimming speed of 30 feet.

Amphibious: You can breathe air and water.
Control Air and Water: A child of the sea, you can call on the magic of elemental air and water. You can cast Fog Cloud with this trait. Starting at 3rd level, you can cast Gust of Wind with it, and starting at 5th level, you can also cast Wall of Water with it. Once you cast a spell with this trait, you can’t cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Darkvision: You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Emissary of the Sea: Aquatic beasts have an extraordinary affinity with your people. You can communicate simple ideas with beasts that can breathe water. They can understand the meaning of your words, though you have no special ability to understand them in return.
Guardians of the Depths: Adapted to even the most extreme ocean depths, you have resistance to cold damage. Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and Primordial.

Lifespan

200 years

Average Height

1,5 meters